The probe was launched against state-controlled Rosneft and privately-held Lukoil, Bashneft and Lukoil’s subsidiary, Lukoil-Rezervnefteprodukt

MOSCOW, November 5. /TASS/. Russia’s Anti-Monopoly Service has launched a probe against major oil firms into price manipulation on the oil product exchange, the watchdog said on Wednesday.

The probe was launched against state-controlled Rosneft and privately-held Lukoil, Bashneft and Lukoil’s subsidiary, Lukoil-Rezervnefteprodukt, the regulator said in a statement.

A monitoring analysis of the petroleum product market has revealed that the prices of AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline went up by about 20% in the over-the-counter wholesale segment from January to September 2014, the anti-trust watchdog said.

Meanwhile, the prices of AI-92 gasoline soared by 34% and the prices of AI-95 increased by 35% in the market’s exchange-traded wholesale segment, the regulator said.